The Cottage ( Flower Husbands AU )

Chapter Three: Jimmy?!

Jimmy sat in front of the fire, the crisp crackle of burning logs echoed in the house. 
"Mr Spirit? could we please make honey smores? " Ava asked from her position beside her guardian. 
A fur blanket was draped over her, protecting her from the cold, a scarf hung loosely around her neck.

Jimmy glanced outside. 
Soft spirals of snow fell from the sky, dusting the already there blanket of snow.

Trees were without leaves, arctic foxes and wolfs stalked the large fields of wheat, watching for birds to eat. 
Smoke blew from all chimneys, and the smell of warm soup and bread was everywhere. 

Jimmy smiled. 

" Of course. I'll get the honey, alright? " 
" Okay! " 

Jimmy stood, his green blazer falling over his shoulders. 
He walked to the kitchen, feet padding softly on the spruce wood. 
Jimmy stepped into the small kitchen, paying little mind to Lemon sitting in the boiling hot sink as he opened the fridge, grabbing the honey jar. 

The dirty-blond gently turned the tap to him and filled up the pale brown jug, watching the snowfall while doing so. 

Ava was taking deep breaths as she checked over the flower vines hanging on the walls. 
Pale white and pale-pale pink flowers hung over the lounge and up the walls.

She smiled, knowing why Jimmy had given this to her. 
Two months ago she had passed Vivian's test.
One of the hardest tests in the kingdom, she had passed it. She also got a certificate that she hung up in the hallway cabinet. 
A proud smile found its way onto Ava's face. 
" I passed the test," she whispered to herself. 

"  You sure did Kiddo. " Jimmy said placing two teacups down on the coffee table, alongside the honey jar, marshmallows and chocolate chips.  

Ava's eyes shone. 
" Thank you, Mr Spirit. " Ava chirped happily, skipping back towards the couch. 
Jimmy sat down, picking up an old book with a faded blue cover. 
Ava's eyes shone again. 
" Oh! Yes! Storytime! " The girl cheered, curling up in front of the fire. 

Ava was mature, yes, but she was still a little kid at heart. 
She knew complex math equations but could never figure out that book, but all the same, it was her favourite.

Jimmy smiled, the faded cover worn down under his fingers from years and years of reading it to her. ( Or so he thought. ) 
Her eyes would shine in delight every time Jimmy brought this book out to show her. 
The two knew it back to back, front cover to back cover. 
Yet it always felt new in his eyes. 

" 'The crash of swords echoed around the ballroom, shattering Lilly's eardrums. ' " 
And that's how the evening went, Jimmy reading Ava the book and her eating Honey Smores. 

The book was about a family, the brothers went to war, the parents were never home, so the little girl in the book was left alone in the large mansion. 
It tells a story of how she finds secret doorways, hidden libraries and magical objects, hidden in the home. 
The story ends, with the girl falling through a mirror into a world of magic. She is crowned queen of magical beings and raises her life there, defeating mighty dragons and slaying powerful warriors. 
Then on the last page, she wakes up. 
Her crown sitting on her dresser. 

Hours passed, the gentle ticking of the grandfather clock indicated that. 
Chapter one, ( Done ) 

Chapter two ( Done ) 
Chapter three-five? ( Done. ) 
Chapter seven to ten? ( Done. ) 
The two finished on Chapter thirteen, just as she fell through the mirror.